Prosecutors say that on May 23, 2013, Allen struck Harvey five times in the neck and head in Allen’s parents’ home. A state psychiatrist’s report said the attack was sparked by Allen’s delusions.

The elder Allen was a former domestic policy adviser in the Bush White House. He resigned in 2006 after being arrested for shoplifting at a Target store in Gaithersburg. He pleaded guilty to theft that same year, effectively ending a once-promising political career, and was fined and placed on probation.

He told the judge at his sentencing hearing that he had lost perspective while working long hours and getting little sleep in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.